Pour bien comprendre le phenomene aurignacien en Europe, il faut le considerer dans sa globalite territoriale et dans la complexite de sa genese. Il nous parait toujours davantage comme un phenomene composite, articule en une serie de phases aux extensions geographiques variees. La sequence classique definie en Europe occidentale ne peut desormais pas suffire pour promouvoir un modele comprehensible. Nous proposons ici d'exprimer certains traits essentiels utiles a cette nouvelle conception.
The formation of Aurignacian in Europe. In order to understand the Aurignacian phenomenon in Europe, one must consider it within its territorial entirety and within the complexity of its origin. Moreover, the Aurignacian appears to be a composite phenomenon, articulated in a series of phases with varying geographic limits. The 'classic' sequence defined in Western Europe is from now on insufficient to support an intelligible model. We propose here to explain certain essential characteristics useful for this new idea.